Tatra stakeholder Ravi Rishi summoned, CBI registers case

NEW DELHI: The CBI registered a case in connection with the supply of all-terrain Tatra trucks through state-owned BEML to the Army and called for questioning Vectra group Chairman Ravi Rishi.

CBI sources said British national Rishi, who is in the national capital for the Defence Expo, has been called for questioning in the connection with the alleged irregularities in the deal.

CBI Director A P Singh had examined a report forwarded by one of the joint directors of the agency who had opined that a case could be made out and a thorough investigation was required, the sources said.

The deal came under scanner after Army chief General V K Singh had alleged that he was offered a Rs 14 crore bribe to clear a file related to purchase of trucks.

The Defence Ministry has sent a reference to the CBI seeking a probe in the allegations. However, the agency is waiting for a complaint from Gen Singh before initiating a probe into his allegations.

The sources said based on the reference, two separate cases could be registered by the agency - one related to the deal and another to the alleged bribery offer.

In an interview to ET, Ravi Rishi said that he does not know of any offer to bribe the Army Chief for supply of 'substandard' vehicles to the Army.

Rishi maintained he has neither met General VK Singh nor the so-called middlemen and he wants a clean chit to go on with his business.

"I have no reason to appoint a middleman as Tatra is sold through the Bharat Earth Movers Ltd, which is a public sector enterprise. My team or I have never met General VK Singh or Lt General Tejinder Singh. The General might be trying to kill two birds with one stone by naming Tatra and Tejinder Singh. He is a very smart man and can play war games," he told ET.

"I do not even know which deal is being referred to by the General. But in my discussions and all the information I could gather from Army sources, I think the General was in favour of Ural trucks and he wanted the Army to chose those trucks. Even when he was in Assam as the commander he tried these trucks there without required permissions. This will give a clear indication of the reasons," he added.

Earlier this week it was reported that the ministry of defence and defence PSU Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) will hand over all the files related to the Tatra vehicle contract to the CBI for investigation. The files will contain the contract details between BEML, which supplies the vehicles to the Army, and Tatra Sipox UK that makes the vehicle.

Rishi had been the chairman of the Tatra supervisory board, and his Vectra group is the biggest stakeholder in the Tatra Holding s.r.o that owns Tatra a.s. The 150-year-old corporation has the oldest truck factories in the Czech Republic.

Vectra group has a chartered aircraft business in London, owns the largest chopper firm in India, is the biggest shareholder in Noida-based India Exposition Mart, besides running a thriving helicopter service operation.